Apparatus for packaging refuse and other materials

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for packaging refuse, trash or other waste products that are deposited into a receptacle such as a paper bag, from a chute. Provided at the outlet end of the chute is a compacting or pressure-exerting device which includes a pressure plate mounted to be moved into and out of the bag through its open mouth at required intervals to compact or compress the materials that are deposited in the bag.

United States Patent 1151 3,696,737 Wilmer 1451 Oct. 10, 1972 [54]APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING 3,280,727 10/1966 Jonas ..100/233 X REFUSE ANDOTHER MATERIALS 3,357,346 12/1967 Crafoord ..l00/233 X 72 I I w Hall tan3,413,913 12/1968 X 1 f 'gifi f 'ig gumsga 3,424,073 1/1969 Boyd et100/229 x 3,438,322 4/1969 Marasco ..l00/Z33 [221 15, 1969 3,540,49511/1970 Lundgren ..10o/229 ux [211 App]. No.: 884,951

Primary Examiner-Billy J. Wilhlte 52 vs. 01. ..1o0/233, 100/49, 100/278[51] Int. Cl. ..B30b 7/00 as Fleld Search ..248/l01; 100/233, 49, 229,[571 100/22 A. 2 141/73, 30 An apparatus for packaging refuse, trash orother waste products that are deposited into a receptacle 391mm CM suchas a paper bag, from a chute. Provided at the outlet end of the chute isa compacting or pressure-ex- UNITED STATES PATENTS erting device whichincludes a preuure plate mounted 26,546 12/1859 Chichester ..100/233 Xto b moved i t a d out of the bag through its open th atlr qui ed tocompact or compreu lg; g a fig 242310] the matenals that are deposlted1n the bag. 239701533 2/1961 Allen ..................100/233 UX 3 Chime,6 Drawin Figure:

PATENTEDucI 10 m2 SHEET 1 BF 3 KARL GUSTAV WIKNER INVENTOR.

BY MUNSON & FIDDLER PATENTEDHCI 10 I972 3 696' 7337 saw 2 OF 3 I 4 1' 1/x j KARL GUSTAV \k/ INVENTOR.

BY MUNSON & FIDDLER PATENTEnum 10 m2 SHEU 3 0F 3 6 FIG.5.

7 W4 q rll ||l| I EU MM KARL GUSTAV WIKNER INVENTOR.

HY MUNSON a. FIDDLER APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING REFUSE AND OTHER MATERIAISThe present invention relates to an apparatus for packaging refuse orother waste products. A special object of the invention is to provide asimple device for the repeated compression of refuse material thatgradually accumulates in a receptacle, so that the entire volume of therefuse bin can be effectively utilized. The invention is furtherintended to provide a device which, even in very limited space, can beconnected to the outlet of a refuse chute or the like which permits theuse of paper bags as the refuse receivers.

The arrangement proposed by the invention is principally characterizedby the repeated exposure of the refuse dumped into the receptacle tomechanical compression. For this purpose, use is made of a deviceprincipally characterized by a frame which holds the receptacle andincorporates a pivoted compression mechanism that is joumalled in theframe and arranged to be intermittently urged toward the bottom of thereceptacle when it enters into the receptacle.

In the event that only limited space is available, the device may beplaced at an angle relative to the outlet of the refuse chute, in whichcase the frame incorporates a support mounted at an angle to thehorizontal plane, to hold the receptacle. The receptacle can then bemounted detachably on said support.

The device may also be arranged in a manner that the frame can be placedin a vertical position below a refuse chute. If paper bags are used asthe refuse bins, it is desirable to fit the frame with a retractableclamping arrangement for the bag opening.

Regardless of whether the refuse bin is placed vertically or at anangle, a compression mechanism is provided the compression of thecontents.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein illustrative embodiments of theinvention are disclosed,

FIG. 1 shows a device constructed in accordance with the invention forholding an inclined refuse bin;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the device illustrated in FIG. I with therefuse bin locked in its inclined position;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device in the position of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of a device of different construction with a verticalor standing receptacle;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the device of FIG. 4 with the receptaclepushed in place, and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the device of FIG. 5.

The device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is primarily intended for use wherethere is relatively little vertical space and with the refuse bin orcontainer arranged at an angle in working position.

The device includes a frame 1 having a base 2 and two vertical posts 3and 4 projecting upwardly from the base. One of the short sides 6 of asupport plate 5 is attached to one of the short sides 7 of the base 2,the opposite short side 8 of the support plate 5 being attached to theposts 3 and 4 at a distance upwardly from the base 2, and the plate 5thus forms an inclined support for a refuse bin 9.

At the bottom of the refuse bin 9 are attached two rollers 10, 11mounted at a distance from each other, and the bin 9 is fitted with aprojecting catch 12 intended, when the bin 9 is placed in an inclinedposition on the support plate 5 (see FIG. 1), to be locked in an openingformed in the support plate or by engagement with the edge 5a of theplate, by means of a lever 14 located below the support plate 5 andincorporating a locking lug which in the locked position engages withthe catch 12. When catch 12 passes through the opening 12a, the lockinglug or lever 14, which is pivotal at 14a, can be turned to fit behindthe catch 12 and thus hold the bin to the support plate 5. The refusebin may either be a conventional metal container or it may be in theform of a paper bag, possible enclosed by a metal casing. According toone of the embodiments of the invention, the receptacle 9 is composed ofa paper bag 16 which is detachably placed in a casing that is in theform of a cradle 17 fitted with rollers 10 and 11 and a bottom plate 18supporting the bottom of the paper bag 16, and also with a clampingdevice 19 for holding the open top end of the paper bag.

In addition, the frame incorporates a compression mechanism 20 in theform of an angle-shaped lever, the inclined longer pivoting shanksection 21 of which is journalled on an axle 22 mounted between theposts 3 and 4. A pressure plate 24 is mounted on the inclined shortershank section 23 of the lever. The free end of the longer shank section21 is pivoted on a carrier 26 hinged on a chain 25. The chain 25 isdriven by a reversible motor 27, which may be controlled by amicroswitch and a relay, not shown, but in the known manner, via adriving gear 28 (FIG. 2) and from which the chain engages a tensionroller 29 and extends over an idler roller 30.

At the top end of each of the posts 3 and 4 is mounted guide platesconsisting of triangular walls 31 and 32, the base line of whichcoincides with the top surface of the respective posts 3 and 4. Theguide plates are provided with a sensing system in the form of anelectric cell 33 with mating light source 34.

The support plate 5 is preferably so shaped that its short side firstextends straight upwardly from the short side 7 of the base 2, to thenshift to an angle of approximately 45 relative to the horizontal plane.The pressure plate 24 of the compression unit 20 may be suitablyattached to the intermediate section 36 of the lever by means of areinforcement bar 20'.

The apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 functions in the followingmanner:

A paper bag 16 having been inserted in the bin 9 and the open top end ormouth of the same secured around the opening in the bin by means of theclamping ring 19, the bin is rolled up to the device and is placedagainst the support plate 5 in such a way that the catch 12 enters therequired opening in the plate. The bin is then locked in this positionby turning the lever 14 and thereby engages its locking lug 15 with thecatch 12. The device will then assume the inclined position shown inFIG. 2, in which the support plate has, for clarity in illustration,been omitted. At this time the pressure plate is in its rear orretracted position, shown in full lines in FIG. 2, so that the plate 24coincides with the rear edges of the guide plates 31 and 32. The deviceis then located below a refuse chute so that the funnelshaped openingformed by the guide plates 31 and 32 and the pressure plate 24constitutes a natural extension of the refuse chute. When an object isnow dumped into the bin through the above-mentioned funnel-shapedopening, the motor 27 will start on an impulse from the sensing system33, 34 and the compression mechanism 20 will thereby be shifted to theposition shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2 and effect a compression of thematerial gradually accumulating in the bag. The compression mechanism 20is then immediately returned to its starting or retracted position.

The sensing arrangement described is known per se and is often used tooperate a circuit breaker in the current to a motor.

In FIG. 2 the known type of connection between the electric eye 33 andthe motor 27 is diagrammatically indicated by the dotted line 33a.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate another embodiment of the invention, the devicetherein shown being so arranged that the refuse bin is placed verticallydirectly below the refuse chute.

The device of this embodiment is basically constructed to operateaccording to the same principle as that shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, butinstead of an inclined support plate, it incorporates a frame 36, thefour posts 46 of which are vertically adjustable on the correspondingcorner posts 47 of a mainly rectangular base plate 37. The adjustabilityis attained by the known expedient of providing the posts with a row ofholes 460 through which cross pins 470 are inserted in selected ones ofthe holes as shown in FIGS. 4 and to make the corner posts of therequired height. The refuse bin is a paper bag 38, the open top end ofwhich is secured in a suspension device 39. The suspension deviceconsists of a frame 40 sliding on its long edge of the sides 41, 42along corresponding guide rails 43, 44 in the frame 36 and incorporatinga fold-up locking yoke 45 which can be folded up, as shown in FIG. 4,when removing the bag 38 from the frame, and with the bag in placeconstitutes the front short side of the frame, shown at 40.

A compression mechanism 48 with a rectangular pressure plate 49 ispivoted by means of two angle levers 50 mounted at a distance from eachother on a horizontal axle 51 extending between two posts 37'. Eachangle lever 50 is composed of two parallel bars 53, 54 united by anintermediate section 52, one of the bars 53 being shorter and beingmounted on the axle 51 and the other somewhat longer bar 54 carrying thepressure plate 49. At rest, as indicated in solid lines in FIG. 5, theposition of the pressure plate 49 is mainly perpendicular to the openingof the bag. The short bar 53 of the angle lever 50 has a triangularplate 540, the tip of which points toward the base plate 37 and ispivoted on a carrier 55 which is attached at its opposite end to a chain56. The chain 56 extends between a driving gear 57 on a reversible motor58 via a tension roller 59 and an idler roller 60. The motor 58, tensionroller 59 and the idler roller 60 are secured along one side of theframe 36. The chain 56 reciprocates, instead of being continuously movedin one direction so that the plate 49 moves only for the distance thatexists between the rollers 59 and 60.

Similarly to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the device of FIGS. 4to 6 incorporates a sensing system in the form of a photoelectric cell61 with a matching light source 62.

The operation of this device corresponds substantially to that of FIGS.1 to 3, and the position 50' of the compression mechanism and thecorresponding positions at 54', 55', 49 of the associated componentswill be seen in dotted lines in FIG. 5.

The invention is not to be limited to the designs shown in the drawingsand may be altered in a number of ways. Accordingly, the motion of thecompression mechanism may be effected by hydraulic or similar meansinstead of by chain drive. Likewise, the device shown in FIG. 2 may beemployed for conventional refuse bins, in which case the clampingarrangement can be eliminated. The outlet of the refuse chute shouldpreferably be adjusted so that no refuse is dumped during the workingstroke of the compression mechanism.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for collecting and compressing refuse and the like in acollection receptacle that is disposed beneath a refuse chutecomprising, a frame for supporting the receptacle, the frame includingsupporting legs which are adjustable as to height, a frame carrying apressure plate adapted to be entered into the collection receptacle tocompress refuse therein, said latter frame having spaced parallel armswhich are rigidly connected together by an intermediate portion, one ofthe arms being pivotally connected to the frame of the apparatus, theother arm being rigidly connected to the pressure plate, a movable chainhaving a reciprocating movement, a link having one end pivotallyconnected to the chain, an angular plate attached to the arm that ispivoted to the apparatus frame, the second end of the link beingconnected to the angular plate, this arrangement being effective tocause the plate'carrying frame to swing the pressure plate into and outof the collection receptacle.

2. A device for collecting and compressing refuse and the like in acollection receptacle that is disposed beneath a refuse chutecomprising, a frame for supporting the collection receptacle, acompression device swingably joumalled in a frame and adapted to beintermittently pressed in a direction toward the bottom of thereceptacle, the compression device including a frame having U-shapedmembers provided with an intermediate portion supporting levers at itsopposite ends, said levers extending in the direction of the receptacle,one of said levers being an upper one and supporting a pressure plate,another of said levers being a lower one, a reciprocating element, acarrier fixed thereto, the lower one of the levers being connected tothe carrier, the lower one of said levers, being swingably joumalledabout a horizontal axis in the frame to provide for an arrangement bywhich refuse and the like can fall freely from a chute into thecollection receptacle and wherein the pressure plate can be inserteddeep into the receptacle with great force.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 in which the frame for thecompression device includes said U- shaped members, the upper and lowerlevers thereon being rigidly connected by the intermediate portion, oneof the levers on the frame being shorter than the other and beingpivotally connnected to the compression device frame, the reciprocatingelement being a movable chain, means for reciprocatively moving thechain, and linkage articulatively connecting the compression deviceframe to the chain so that up and down movements of the chain willbodily swing the compression device frame to bring the pressure platedown into the collection receptacle or move it out of the same and whenout of the receptacle the pressure plate will be located out of the pathof refuse entering into the receptacle.

1' e a: a! 5

1. An apparatus for collecting and compressing refuse and the like in a collection receptacle that is dIsposed beneath a refuse chute comprising, a frame for supporting the receptacle, the frame including supporting legs which are adjustable as to height, a frame carrying a pressure plate adapted to be entered into the collection receptacle to compress refuse therein, said latter frame having spaced parallel arms which are rigidly connected together by an intermediate portion, one of the arms being pivotally connected to the frame of the apparatus, the other arm being rigidly connected to the pressure plate, a movable chain having a reciprocating movement, a link having one end pivotally connected to the chain, an angular plate attached to the arm that is pivoted to the apparatus frame, the second end of the link being connected to the angular plate, this arrangement being effective to cause the plate-carrying frame to swing the pressure plate into and out of the collection receptacle.
 2. A device for collecting and compressing refuse and the like in a collection receptacle that is disposed beneath a refuse chute comprising, a frame for supporting the collection receptacle, a compression device swingably journalled in a frame and adapted to be intermittently pressed in a direction toward the bottom of the receptacle, the compression device including a frame having U-shaped members provided with an intermediate portion supporting levers at its opposite ends, said levers extending in the direction of the receptacle, one of said levers being an upper one and supporting a pressure plate, another of said levers being a lower one, a reciprocating element, a carrier fixed thereto, the lower one of the levers being connected to the carrier, the lower one of said levers, being swingably journalled about a horizontal axis in the frame to provide for an arrangement by which refuse and the like can fall freely from a chute into the collection receptacle and wherein the pressure plate can be inserted deep into the receptacle with great force.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 in which the frame for the compression device includes said U-shaped members, the upper and lower levers thereon being rigidly connected by the intermediate portion, one of the levers on the frame being shorter than the other and being pivotally connnected to the compression device frame, the reciprocating element being a movable chain, means for reciprocatively moving the chain, and linkage articulatively connecting the compression device frame to the chain so that up and down movements of the chain will bodily swing the compression device frame to bring the pressure plate down into the collection receptacle or move it out of the same and when out of the receptacle the pressure plate will be located out of the path of refuse entering into the receptacle. 